Paper-fastener.



M. KELLY.

PAPER PASTEHEB. I v APPLIOATIOI rnlnn n! as. 1912.

Patented May '19, 191i bums rmns. BK" LIIILIASIIIGM. n c

PATENT OFFICE.

UN lTED STATES M. KELLY,

OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PAPER-FASTENEB.

To-all 1071 am- 1' t may concern a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county and State of New 5 York, have invented certain new-and useful Improvements in Paper-Fasteners, of which the following is a specification. p

This invention relates to fasteners .and more particularly to acne-piece device for fastening together sheets'of paper and the like.

, Most fasteners of the prong construction now on the market do not close down firmly on the file of sheets. \Vhen the file is on the desk or in the files with other papers this permits loose sheets to work into the file. Moreover, where one or two prdngs are employed they have heretofore been struck up parallel to the bend or fold, and in such a construction there is always a strong tendency to spring back or backlash when the pressure is released and the sheets will there fore not be firmly held.

It is one of the objects of this invention. to obviate the above mentioned objections by aconstruetion in which two cooperating prongs are struck up from the blank at right angles to the foldedportion.

Another object is to provide a structure 10 which will allow each prong member to easily project entirely through the sheet yet will prevent the sharp ends of the prong from coming into contact with the lingers.

()therohjeets and the novel features of the iinvention 'will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the drawings in which: t

Figure l is a plan view of the f:l i0lltl hefore being bent into shape to he applied to 40papers. Fig. is an enlarged perspective view of the same bent into shape to he used. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the fastener, showing the same bent into shape read for use. Fig. l is a cross section through the slitand pocket of the fastener in closed position. Fig. 5 is a modified form of fastener having two sets of points or prongs. Fig. (3 is a modified form of fastener having two sets of'points or prongs. Fig. '7 is a modi- 5'0 fication of the form in Fig. 1 showing the Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Bray 19, 1914, Application filed Kay 23; i

1912. Serial No. 699,292.

members.

The fastener is cut or stamped from thin sheet brass, aluminum, copper or other suitable material and has the oppositely dis posed and enlarged clamping members and B. The clamping members A and B are integral with and connected by the narrow neck portion Cn The fastener is relatively weaker at the neck portion C and bends or folds readily at that section. Punched up from and bent substantially at right angles to the sections A and B of the blank-there are two triangular or tapering spikes or prongs D and E which leave eorrespomlingly shaped slots or openings F and G as shown in Fig. 1. The prong members D and E thus struck up will be in the opposing faces of the fastener when the same is bent or folded at the narrow part C to the shape shown .in Figs. 3. 3 and i. and their faces will be parallel to the length of the blank or body member and at right angles to the bend.

The apexes of the V-shaped slots F and G point in opposite directions and are on op posite sides of the blank. The bases of the triangular openings are so disposed that they will be substantially at right angles to the bend at the narrow section C, as will also the prongs D and F.. The bases of the open- ;ings are parallel but slightly out of line and he prongs are also out of line but so arranged that they will have a shearing action past eavh other and will not interfere with the proper penetration of each.

.\ttheir bases the prongs D and E are lheni' outwardly on themselves. asclearly shown in Figs. 2 and i. to provide grooves or pockets ll and K at their bases below the ;o posi1ig clamping surfaces of sections A land T3. The pockets may be as narrow or islightl v narrower than the thickness of the metal employed, thus. besides forming a isocket for'the ends of the prongs on the opiposite clamping members. they will also Ihave an interlorking action as the point i itself will cam in the groove from the round I corner. The pocket serves the purpose-0f a hole, but there will be no possibility of the [points of the prongs coming into contact dish-shaped construction of the clamping withthe fingers when being applied. It will A beobserved that as the prongs are at right angles to the bend-at C, they will in closing .,present the edge of the metal to the strain, cutting their way clean, making but one hole and in addition shearingpast each other and seating themselves firmly in the pockets or grooves. There will be no tendency to spring back or backlash; 1 In; Fig. 5 a modification is shown in which a-plurality of tangs L, L and M, M at substantially the same distance from the bendable portion C, ,are struck up from the clamping sections A and B connected by the neck portion C, in a similar manner to Fig. 1. The V-shaped ope ings on each clamping member point in t e same direction and the structure of the tangs and their relative position is the same as indicated in 1? the formshown in Figs. 1 to 4.

Fig. 6 discloses a modification in which coiiperating tangs N, N, O, O are arranged at differentdistances from the narrow bendable section C" which connects clamping sections A and B. The V-shaped openings P, P and Q, Q on each clamping member point in opposite directions. The openings P, P, as well as prongs N, N are arranged in the same rela fiction to each other as are those in Fig. 1. 'The same also applies to openings Q, Q and cooperating prongs O, O which are beyond prongs N, N. To further obviate backlash the construction disclosed in perspective in Fig. 7 has been rovided. The clamping members R and d connected by the narrow bendable part T are of dish-shape or clam-shell construction. .The dish-shaped portion may readily be formed in a die and the prong :members U and W are struck u from the opposing clamping surfaces leaving the opitely directed V-shaped openings X and The prong members U and \V are pro- 'vided' at their bases with the pockets or grooves U and IV. as in the otherjconstructions. 4

JThe use of the fastener will be obvious from the foregoing description. It will be joiseen that an effective and improved device islprovided by the construction shown. Itwi be possible to obtain a thorough pen foration even of hard paper, insuring a penetration and holding of all the sheets. In fact a full closure is not absolutely re quired to insure holding as the prongs will overlap and have the equivalent of an interlock. The fastener 'willhold more than double the quantity of material in a fas tener of the single prong construction and has a wider range. Should the fastener become overloaded the unsecured sheets are in the middle of the file where there is but slight possibility of their being lost in It is obvious that the structure of the de- A vice shown mayv be modified without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore it is not intended that the invention be limited to the exact details as shown and described except as restricted by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is:

1. A paper fastener comprising a sheet metal blank bent over on itself intermediate its ends to form cooperating clamping mem-- bers, a tang formed on each of the opposin surfaces of the clamping members, sai tangs being disposed out. of line with each other so as not to interfere in closing the fastener, and each tang being provided with a pocket formed integral therewith and at the base thereof and adapted to receive the end of the other tang.

2. A paper fastener comprising a-sheet metalblank bent over on itself intermediate its ends to form cooperating clamping members, a tang on ,each of the opposing surfaces of the clamping members, said tangs being disposed out of line with each other sothat they will not interfere when the fastener is closed, the broad faces of the tangs being disposed at substantially a ri ht,

angle to the bend in the blank, and a poc et formed integral with each tang at the base thereof adapted to receive the end of the other tang. 3

- 3. A paper fastener comprising a sheet metal blank bent over on itself intermediate its ends to form cooperating clamping membersand tapering tangs struck from the opposing surfaces of the clamping members, said tangs having paper engaging portions and having portions adapted to receive the paper engaging portions of the tangs on the opposing clamping members.

4. A paper fastener comprising a sheet metal blank bent over on itself intermediate its ends to form cooperating clamping members, tangs punched from the opposing surfaces of the clamping members leaving a corresponding opening in the blank at the side of each tang, and a pocket formed in the blank adjacent each tang and on the side opposite the opening made when the tang was punched, the said pockets being so disposed that the end of each tangwill be pocketed when the fastener is closed.

5. A paper fastener comprising a sheet metal blank bent over on itself intermediate its ends to form cooperating clampin members, a tang struck from each of t e opposing surfaces of the clamping members leaving an opening in the blank at the SIdB 01E each tang, the opening left in one clamping member being at the opposite side of the tang thereon from the opening left beside the tang in the opposing clamping member, said blank having a pocket formed at the side of each tang opposite the opening made when the tang was struck from 10 the blank, the end of the tang on each clamping member entering the pocket adjacentthev tang on the opposing clamping member when the fastener is closed. 7

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM M; KELLY.

Witnesses JOHN S. BRAND, ALEX. B. WRIGHT. 

